The I'm Not Sure I'm Cool Enough For This top

Last year my brother bought me Drape Drape 2 for my birthday, after a not-so-subtle link to the Book Depository magically winged its way across the internets to his inbox. I'd had the Asymmetrical Scoop top on my sewing list all summer, but as usual my list exceeded available time and I've only just made it up.




It's far too cold to be wearing it now, but took the opportunity to get some pics (awful light, sorry) last week, whilst modelling Barrie undies in jeans (for the ladies interested in the VPL factor of the Barries there will be some bum shots at the end).



So, Drape Drape 2 is of course a Japanese pattern book, and this is my first Japanese pattern! It is ingeniously designed as a one piece top, and those who watched the most recent Sewing Bee might recognise it's design from the final (although it is designed to be made in a knit, not a woven). I made a size large.


I did actually make a quick toile a few weeks ago in a very slinky drapey cheap rayon, as I wasn't 100% on whether the style would suit me. I liked the overall concept (and it's crazy in those stripes), but as you can see the depth of the scoop was a little unnerving - raising it about an inch was the only change I made to the pattern.



What I didn't take into account with this version was the vertical stretch of my knit. It's a lovely Marc Jacobs cotton knit from the Fabric Store, with decent horizontal stretch but little vertical stretch. The nature of this pattern is such that back ends up being along the vertical grain to some degree, which means that a fabric with little vertical stretch will be fairly snug, as this is on me around my ab.


I finished the scoop a little differently to the instructions - with a very thin band, attached in the flat before sewing up the one shoulder seam. I would also recommend ignoring the instructions that say to finish the edges of the other arm opening before hemming - this reduced the stretch of my fabric and I had to unpick the overlocking before rehemming it. Here it is flat in all of it's crazy Warrior Pose glory:


I'm a bit on the fence about how this top is on me. I feel a bit sloppy in it. It doesn't sit that well, falling back off my shoulders - I'm not up for clothes that need constant readjusting. Maybe it's because of the fabric choice..... It certainly looks interesting but am I interesting enough for this top? I just don't know. I like the sleeve detail and I love the colour. I guess I'll just have to wait until warmer weather and see how much wear I get out of it...

And now to finish up I've got a couple of quick bum closeups for VPL consideration - these are my tightest, light-weight denim jeans and I'm pretty pleased with both the banded and lace versions - but you can compare and decide for yourself the VPL factor.....

First up - banded versions:





And now lace top stitched:





Comments

  1. I think it looks lovely on you! Not sloppy at all, although I know what you mean. I often feel sloppy in things that are deliberately loose and drapey and even when I think they're objectively fine, they are just not for me. Not my style. Which is sometimes a pity.

    I was going to say it would be great on heatwave days, but if it's tight on the abs and slips backward then maybe not. But it does look like a nice summer top.

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    1. Hey thanks - time will tell on the wearability! At the moment it's folded up awkwardly in the summer pile awaiting a second chance in about 6 months time!

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  2. Thank you for the butt shots! i made my first Barrie breifs the other day, and they show through much more than yours.. but you are giving me hope that I can improve that.

    I think you are rocking that top - but I agree that if you have to fidget with your clothes, then they just aren't right! :)

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    1. Oh you are welcome! There's something very weird about bum self portraits but if they help then I'm all for it! Experiment with the bands I reckon - because of the coverage there's no need for them to be too tight.....

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  3. Drape Drape 2 is the one I don't have and I've considered buying it primarily for this top. I like the look of the twisting and bunching and don't see it as sloppy, but if it's not you're thing you just know it. I did make a similar top from Ottobre, http://www.ottobredesign.com/lehdet_js/2013_2/sivut/6.jpg, and learned the hard way to follow their layout. In that case the hem was perpendicular to the stretch of the jersey and this was required to keep the shirt puddling on the hip. When I made it the first time disregarding the placement, I ended up with a top that melted down to my knees.

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    1. There's at least 2 other patterns in the book that I'm keen to try, and I'd give this another go in a drapier fabric before I gave up on it entirely! I do like it's twisted craziness!

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  4. It 's a great top and I think it looks lovely on you! I made it a couple of years ago in a stripe, and I wore it then, but I admit I did feel self-conscious in it. Like you, I was always rearranging the neckline, the sleeves... but it's a cool top and it was an interesting sew and I was thinking recently that it would be nice to bring it out of hibernation for summer.

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    1. Thanks Sara! It's interesting you found it a bit of a fiddle to wear.... I'd be interested to see how much wear others have had out of theirs!

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  5. I absolutely love this top and love the way it looks on you -- not sloppy at all. I admit to being really fond of asymmetrical fashion. Something similar is on my list.. :)

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    1. Thanks Olgalyn! Fingers crossed it grows on me.....

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  6. I definitely think "you're cool enough" for this top, you goose! But I don't think you're going to wear it... it's not comfortable, no one needs to feel like they have to adjust all the time. If it's fixable go forth and fix. If not, bin it and try a slight redraft?? And thank you for the bum shots. Awesome... truly awesome, bwahahaha!

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    1. Thanks lovely! And those bum shots - the things I do for you!

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  7. I also think you're cool enough for this top :-) I really like it, but I also know how annoying it can be to constantly have to readjust a neckline. That will put me off wearing something.

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    1. Thanks Gail.... Maybe I can resurrect this one with some bra strap holders on the seam allowance.....

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  8. I made this top a couple of years ago and like you didn't feel it sat well on me or maybe it was more that I didn't think it was my style. I still love the top and love seeing it on others - so know exactly how you feel. The VPL is minor - esp on the lace ones !

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    1. Thanks Kirsty! I wondered what you thought of yours....

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  9. Cool enough is certainly not the issue! Comfort, on the other hand... I'm of the school of thought that a person should have to think about their clothing once they put it on. Hopefully you can find a solution to make the shoulders more stable, but if not I'm sure someone would love to inherit this top from you.

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    1. Thanks Morgan! I have no issues letting go anything I don't like, so yes, it's sure to get wear from someone, if not me!

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  10. Thanks for the bum shots!! I think you have sold me on the Barrie briefs - if I ever get around to making underwear that is. I love your new top, and I think it looks great on you, but I totally get the not wanting to wear something that always needs to be readjusted. I hate that myself!

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    1. Thanks Heather - Hope you do get to the Barries - I'm still loving mine!

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  11. Aha, I did wonder where the sewing bee got that asymmetrical Japanese pattern from! I think the top looks very flattering on you, but I can understand that you may feel less happy with it, if you're always rearranging it as you wear it. Do you think any adjustment in the fit would prevent this?

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    1. I'll have to do some reading - I think things falling back off shoulder suggests a forward shoulder adjustment.... But with one conventional shoulder seam and the other shoulder seamless I don't know how that would work here.... Tricky!

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  12. You're totally cool enough for that top. The grey makes it very chic, and it looks wonderful on you, especially with those great jeans!

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    1. Thanks claire! I love the shade of grey too.

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  13. I really like it - I think it looks great and you are totally "cool" enough to pull it off. The real test will be summer when you have the opportunity to wear it. Personally I never reach for those items in my wardrobe that I'm not totally comfortable with, but anyway it's always fun to experiment with new things. You have me SOLD on the Barries, thanks for the shots!

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    1. Thanks Kate! Good luck with your Barries!

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  14. No question of being cool enough - you carry it off with aplomb, and it looks like it would fit very neatly into your wardrobe. The colour is gorgeous. But I hear you on the wearability factor! I made another top from that book, and though I didn't mind how it looked, wearing it drove me mad. Constant adjustments! No thank you - it's since been gifted...

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    1. Oh it's frustrating isn't it. Says something for wearing fabric in the direction of the grain vs not....

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  15. Of course you're cool enough! Great jeans too.

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  16. What do you mean "not interesting enough"!!! That is just nonsense! From where I'm sitting - some 10000 miles away in front of a computer screen ;-) of course - looks perfect. But if you don't feel it you don't feel it. There are so many thing we buy and we don't really wear, I guess some things we sew and we don't really wear are to be expected.

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    1. Haha thanks lovely. Yeah I just feel let down that I can't be all drapey and cool and effortless in it! I'll get over it no doubt 😜!

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